This is probably the most important street in Marseille, or at least it was at the time this photograph was made. It's a classic wide street, a commercial center of the city, surrounded by good buildings built about five stories high. Streets like this are a fine model for the central boulevard as proposed in the Reference Design for carfree cities. There is (or at least was) a saying that "if Paris had La Canebiere, Paris would be a second Marseilles." While this may be a case of parochialism, this street can stand its own with anything Paris has to offer. Notice how much the overhead wires intrude into this scene. I have proposed elsewhere a fuel-cell-powered tram that would obviate the need for ugly and expensive overhead power systems for trams.
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